Trunk hardware



Aug. 24 1926.

' G. H. WHEARY TRUNK HARDWARE FiledJune 18, 1925' Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIc-EQ GEORGE HENRY WHEARY, or Resins, Wisconsin, :AssieNoR rio WI 'IEAR'Y TRUNK COMPANY, or misuse, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

TRUNK nARnu ARE',

application filed June is, 1325-; Serial 372979.

This invention relates to certain new and useful in'iproveme'i'its in trunk hardware and refers more particularly to an improved two-part corner piece especially designed for use in connection with trunks of the VVardrola type, although the principle thereof may be employed in connection with other Styles 01 trunks.

This invention contemplates as one object the provision of an improved corner piece or fitting, on'epart of which is mounted on the corner of the bottom extension of the trunk and the other part of which is mounted onthe adjacent corner of the trunk section niovable over'the extension and having means adapted to interlock when the trunk is closed to resist movement between the trunk sections in all directions eXeept a normal opening movement.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an improved trunk fitting of the character described in which one part has an irregular opening in which an irregular extension carried by' the other" part fits when the trunk sections are closed to resist move ment between the trunk sections in all directions except a normal opening movement.

And a further object of this invention resides in the provision of an improved trunk fitting of the character described which in no wise mars the outward appearance of the trunk and which is of unusually strong construction to prevent spreading between the trunk sections.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description pro ceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the ap pended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, 1' have. illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating the lower portion of a wardrobe trunk equipped with my improved fitting;

Figure '3 is an enlarged, fragmentary,j V

sectional view taken through the improved fitting on the plane 'ot'the' li'ne of urea. r

The trunk illustrated in the acompanying drawing is of the WVardrola type in which two sections 5 and 6 are hingedly connected along one marginal side with their bottoms disposed on different planes, the space he neath section" 6, the one disposed on the higher plane, being filled by a member? eX? tended from the bottom of the section 5. The section 6 is movable over the extension member 7 in closing and when closed has the bottom marginal edges of its walls joined with the upper marginal edges-of the extension member walls" by suitablevalan'ce means 8 whereby the'panels or walls of the section 61 align with thepanels or walls of the member 7 to give the outward appear ance of a standard type trunk.

The accidental twisting of the trunk sections under stress, such as occurs in the event a. blow is struck on a corner thereof, may result in the sections becoming unlocked, and protection against such an occurrence is provided'by a two-part corner piece 9, to be later in detail described and an improved combination ha'sp and locking bolt member l0 oft-he type illustrated and described in my application Serial Number 37,980, filed June 18, 1925.

The iiiiprovedcorner piece consists of two parts" 1 1 and 12 fiX'ed'tothe corner or" the section 6 at the juncture of its side panel adjacent its hinge connection with the other section and 1t's outer panel or wall, and to the adjacent corner? of themember 7, re-

spectively. The partsll and 12 may be of a construction similar tothe conventional two-part corner piece and their adjacent or meeting edges register with the line of break 13 between the section 6 and the mem her 7. The part 11 extends up the corner of the section a short distance and the part 12 passes around its corner over the bottom of the member 7 a short distance, as at 14.

Formed on the part 11, either integral therewith or by riveting or sweating a separate member thereon, is an enlargement 15, the lower portion of which has an inverted T-shaped extension 16 extended therebelow and of a shape complementary to an inverted T-shaped recess 17 formed in an enlargement 18 similarly formed on the part 12. The two-part corner piece thus formed provides a firm connection between the section 6 and member 7 capable of withstanding severe stresses, to thus prevent separation of the parts thereof except in a plane transversely of the corner piecewhich is the direction of normal opening of the section 6.

The female part having a relatively deep irregular opening in which the irregular member carried by the male part, and of a thickness equal to and a shape complementary with the recess, is engageable when the trunk is closed resists movement between the section 6 and member 7 in all directions except a transverse plane, which is the normal direction of movement between the section 6 and the member 7 when the trunk is being opened. In other words the interlocking connection between the parts of the corner piece prevent any tendency of the section 6 and member 7 to separate when subjected to a blow such as may be caused by dropping the trunk thereon.

The locking device 10 on one side of the section 6 and member 7 cooperates with the improved corner piece and thus positiveprotection against damaging the trunk lock is prevented in the event the trunk is dropped on a corner or is rocked from corner'to corner as is the custom with baggage handlers. The two-piece corner in effect makes the section 6 and member 7 as one unit.

I claim:

1. The combination with two members adapted to be closed one over the other with adjacent walls aligned, of a two-part fitting carried by adjacent walls of said members and having parts adapted to interlock when the members are closed one over the other to resist movement apart of said members except in a direction transversely to itself.

2. The combination with two members adapted to be closed one over the other with adjacent corners aligned, of a two-part corner piece carried by adjacent corners of said members and having parts adapted to interlock'when the members are closed one over the other to resist movement apart of said members except in a direction transversely to itself. r

3. A trunk fitting, consisting of a twopart dowel member, the parts of which are interlockable and adapted to be separated upon relative movement in a direction transversely to itself.

4. A trunk fitting, comprising a member having an irregular recess, and a second member of a shape, complementary to that 'of the recess whereby the second member 6. A trunk fitting, comprising a member having a relatively deep, inverted T-shaped recess and a second member of inverted T- shape and of a thickness complementary to that of the recess whereby the second member may be interlocked in the recess of the first member to resist movement apart thereof in, a-ll'directions except in a direction transversely of itself.

7. In a baggage carrier, the combination with two members adapted to be moved on a pivot to close one over the other with their adjacent corners and panels aligned, of an interlocking two-part corner piece fitting carried by adjacent corners of the members, the line defined by the meeting edges of said corners lying in a plane perpendicularj to the line of the pivot, and said car rier pieces adapted to resist movement apart thereof except by a movement in which their meeting edges move in a plane parallel to the aforesaid plane, and a lock device carried by adjacent panels of the members and engageable when the sections are closed over each other to, with the corner piece fitting, rigidly connect the members and resist twisting stresses therebetween.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY. 

